The weekly “little of this, little of that” feature here at Like Mother, Like Daughter! (This will all look and work better if you click on the actual post and do not remain on the main page.)
THE GIVEAWAY IS CLOSED! THE WINNER IS SEASHOREKNITS! An email will be making its way to you soon! The other winner will be on the Instagram post! Please do check out the listing for the CD and order it soon. — the code to save 20% is LMLD! You can also get the MP3 on Amazon {this is an affiliate link} or Itunes.
Another giveaway! For TWO winners! {The winners of the two books are posted down below!}
Here is one for the ages: A fantastic Christmas CD like no other. This will take a little explanation, but have a listen to this snippet – it will only take a minute!
What we have here is the world premiere recording of a late-Sarum-Rite-era English Mass by William Rasar, called Lux Fulgebit.
Charles Weaver (assistant director of music, also sings bass in the schola, husband of one of the sopranos heard here!) dug up evidence of this 16th-century Mass Christe Jesu by William Rasar, and edited it from the original part-books (available to view online—what a time to be alive, when the most obscure treasures can be found at a click).
This Mass setting is a hidden gem of the highest quality. The recording does it justice. It's sung by the Schola Cantorum of St. Mary's in Norwalk, CT, a professional choir that provides the sacred music (not performances!) at the Extraordinary Form Mass there. The voices are a joy to listen to.
The CD is a complete Mass (the vanishingly rare Christmas Mass at Dawn* with its own beautiful Propers about the first light after the darkness of Advent). The pastor chants the lessons and prayers, and there are even bells and silence in between the Sanctus and Benedictus, to chilling (in a holy way) effect.
If I went on and on about this CD and how amazing it is, this post would be ridiculously long. You can read about it on the church's website.
Update: You can hear the full Credo here and the Agnus Dei here.
If you have someone on your gift roster who loves sacred music, early music, and choral music, this is a Must Have! If you can't wait for the giveaway to end, you can order it here (the proceeds go to the church's sacred music program) and get 20% off with the code LMLD — $16 instead of $20! This code will be good through Christmas Day. You can also order the MP3 on Amazon and on ITunes (giftable on both sites).
Leave a comment to be entered! I will also post on Instagram, so be sure to go over there and enter a comment there as well, tagging a friend! I'll choose one winner here and one there!
*Christmas is a feast that has three distinct Masses, each with its own Propers, or changeable parts of the Mass reflecting the particular emphasis that Holy Mother Church wishes to give the faithful at that moment. John Saward, author of the breathtaking book Cradle of Redeeming Love, says,
In the tradition of mystical exegesis of the liturgy, another kind of threefold birth, corresponding to the three Masses of Christmas, is attributed to Christ; “the one eternal, from the heart of the Father [Mass at Midnight]; the second fleshly, from the womb of the Virgin [Mass at Dawn]; the third spiritual, by which He is born in the minds of those who are converted to Him or re-born in Him. [Mass at Morning]”
Isn't that awesome and so beautiful and inspiring?
Now on to our links:
In “tidying up and letting you know”:
- The winners of the two books, Leila Miller's Primal Loss and Fr. Jacques Philippe's Searching for and Maintaining Peace, are Lisa Trahan, Kari, and Betsy. An email will be coming your way shortly!
- For those of you who didn't win, Leila Miller is generously offering a discount on a signed copy of the book! Just email her at primalloss@gmail.com. The price will be $15! If you want to order from Amazon (where it's on Kindle as well), it's here (this is an affiliate link, thank you!).
- The Fr. Philippe book, Searching for and Maintaining Peace, is available here, and I highly recommend it for everyone from your favorite young (anyone in high school would benefit greatly from it) to elderly person. It's a small volume and would make an excellent stocking stuffer.
- If you are within shouting distance of Clinton, Massachusetts next Sunday, December 17 (look at a map — you may be!), do, do come to a concert of Adventine organ works at St. John Guardian of Our Lady at 5pm. David J. Hughes, one of our country's foremost organists and church musicians (and music director at St. Mary's in Norwalk, CT, where he directs the Schola whose album we are offering in today's giveaway!) will offer an hour-long recital of organ works by Tallis, Bach, Tournemire, and Distler, with improvisations on submitted themes. He will be joined by Marc DeMille, who will sing Gregorian chant as well. Marc is the music director at St. John's and a well known and cherished Early Music performer in the Boston area. Freewill offering at the door! I hope to see you there!
A miscellany:
- Why would a young woman become a nun? A great interview with Jade Banks, soon entering the Discalced Carmalites.
- Is Persuasion Jane Austen's greatest novel? I'm willing to listen!
- Need to repair a wet book? Here is a video on how to do it. (I would have preferred just an article with pictures, and definitely turn the sound off because the “music” is super annoying, but the visuals are helpful.)
- Is Canon Law (the law in the Catholic Church) a set of human rules or is it divinely inspired? Canonist Ed Peters looks at a case.
- I thought this article and video about the Japanese custom of repairing cracked pottery with gold and silver can easily be applied to so many aspects of life and spirit.
From the archives:
- Don't forget the Advent and Christmas music we recommended in this post, as well as the Lux Fulgebit CD we are featuring here! I'm going to add to that list a CD on a much less sublime level, much beloved in our family just because I literally picked it up from a rack at the grocery store some Advent lost in the mists long ago, and we all know that “tradition” is “what we listened to when we were little”: Reba MacEntire's Merry Christmas to You, don't judge me/my kids.
We also love Chanticleer Sing We Christmas and Anonymous 4 The Cherry Tree. Elizabeth Mitchell's The Sounding Joy has that simple traditional sound for the littles. If your childhood was in the 60s, like mine was, Peter Paul and Mary are a must — but for anyone, their rendition of Children, Go Where I Send Thee is just awesome.
- If you scroll and scroll in this post, you will come to my list of family cookie favorites with links to recipes. They truly are the best! Well, we love them!
Today is the feast of Juan Diego — an amazing story of childlike faith!
While you’re sharing our links with your friends, why not tell them about Like Mother, Like Daughter too!
We’d like to be clear that, when we direct you to a site via one of our links, we’re not necessarily endorsing the whole site, but rather just referring you to the individual post in question (unless we state otherwise).
Genevieve says
Oooo I’d love to win this one! I’m working on building our Christmas CD collection.
Laura says
What absolutely beautiful music. I love sacred music from that era – it’s so beautiful and peaceful but also mournful sounding, as though it’s saying we can find peace even within the sorrows of life…
monthlychanges says
I am just beginning to appreciate sacred music and especially that for Advent (as opposed to Christmas). It’s feeling quite right.
Ebere says
I would like to win this particular giveaway. Please pick me.
Tyna Begley says
I love reading the various articles at the ends of your posts.
Sarah Mason says
I also would love to win! Thanks for all of the articles. I will have something to read while my little ones watch Juan Diego, the CCC movie, today.
Judy says
Love to hear that sacred music!
Paige says
Wow, what a treasure!
Rosebud says
Beautiful!!
Elizabeth Lemme says
One seldom hears Lux Fulgebit in the parish because everyone is so wiped out from the Midnight Mass 🙂 so unless one can get to a traddie monastery/seminary, this CD is such a wonderful addition to the available sacred music albums for Christmas! My family also loves the Cherry Tree by Anonymous 4 (something so raw and resonate about those early American spirituals), Chanticleer’s “Our Favorite Carols,” the King’s Singer’s “Christmas,” Benjamin Britten’s “Ceremony of Carols (DIVINE!! especially sung by a boy’s choir– le sigh) and The Sixteen’s “Christus Natus Est, an Early American Christmas” (the chant is a bit heavy, but the whole album is worth it for the carol “Remember O Thou Man”). Thank you for your blog- a source of much-needed humor and wisdom!
Elizabeth Lemme says
Correction: The Sixteen’s “Early ENGLISH Christmas” 🙂 (newborn baby+toddler=lack of sleep)
Melissa says
I would love this cd!
Claire says
Well, now I know exactly what I’m getting my dad for Christmas! He will absolutely love this. (No need to enter me in the giveaway, though–he prefers digital music, so I’ll go the Amazon mp3 route even if it is less picturesque to wrap and put under the tree.) Thanks for the inspiration!
I also enjoyed the kintsugi article. I’ve been spending a lot of time thinking about “visible mending”and accepting/embracing breaks and repairs as part of the natural life cycle of an object. Making the mends visible isn’t necessary to that, of course, but it’s an under-utilized way of enhancing the beauty of the original object, in some cases. (It’s also a much more forgiving philosophy for those of us who simply aren’t very good at fixing things neatly yet! Not to mention a visible act of defiance towards a consumer culture that treats everything from plates to the planet to human lives as ultimately disposable.) Anyway, a fruitful avenue of thought, at least for me, and in the case of the kintsugi artisans, inspiring from a purely aesthetic point of view.
Kate says
St. Mary’s is my daughter’s parish! We’ve been to Mass there and the schola is truly magnificent. Fr. Cippola and the music made it the most beautiful and reverent Tridentine Mass we have ever attended. Every Catholic should buy this CD!
Connie says
This would be a great stocking stuffer for my music loving son!
Maureen says
Beautiful music! I just ordered some Advent music per your recommendations, and now I think I need to build up my Christmas collection too! Also I’ll need to look up how far Norwalk is from my own CT home…
seashoreknits says
I am beyond excited to listen and learn more about this music. Thank you from the bottom of my heart, Leila, for sharing this and all the beautiful sacred music you have introduced me to on your blog. Such a gift! Such joy!
Heather says
This sounds like a beautiful addition to the holy day of Christmas.
Ashley says
Beautiful! I can’t even imagine attending a Mass like that. Thank you for the giveaway.
valancyroses says
Sounds like a great CD! Thanks!
Kristi says
Beautiful music!
Persuasion is my favorite Austen novel, now that I am older (older than Anne and than Austen was). It has an autumnal flavor which makes the joy of love reciprocated that much more sweet.
Anna price says
I would love this for myself, or ma6be (If im generous) for my brother!
Elizabeth says
I would love to be considered for the CD! I’ve heard the St Mary’s schools and it is lovely, but didn’t know they had any recordings. (Also, I haven’t even read the article yet but am already convinced that Persuasion is the best!)
Dianna says
That sounds really interesting! I’d love to have a copy of that CD.
Kelly says
Wow! What a treasure this CD could be!
Sara Boyle says
Oh, to assist at a Mass with music like this!
Lisa G. says
I look forward to perusing these links later. But, may I recommend another Christmas cd to you, Leila? Since you are an Irish family (mostly), “On Christmas Night”, by Cherish the Ladies – terrific. I love it so much that I bought another of theirs on the strength of this one, but didn’t like it nearly as well.
(the nativity in the church in that video is identical to the one we have at our church – it’s beautiful.
Toni Graham says
Please enter my name in the Christmas CD giveaway! Thank you!
Shamassy Monica says
I would like this cd please
Dianna says
This is so beautiful I would listen to it year round! My kind of music!
newmariettaland says
How beautiful! from the temperate rain forest that is a religious desert.
Heather Turner says
So beautiful! Thanks for running the giveaway and making us aware of this wonderful CD!
Kristen says
My husband is very excited about this CD. Thanks for bringing it to our attention!
Lindsey Gallant says
Oh how lovely!
Lynn Osborne says
How wonderful! Thanks for the chance to win.
Rebecca says
Looks like an awesome CD, thanks for letting us know about it! I think we’re all just starving for truly beautiful music, whether we know it or not.
Lorelei says
Persuasion is my favorite Austen novel!
Elizabeth Mary says
I would love to win this CD! I love seasonal music and this one sounds lovely and beautiful 🙂
Blessed Advent to you!
KathyB says
Sarum rite music has an ethereal, Holy Spirit goose-bump inducing sound – heavenly!
Katie says
Thank you for sharing this, Auntie Leila! I grew up in a very liturgical Lutheran home, but had never heard of the mass for Christmas Dawn. I really appreciate your explanation of the purpose of each of the Christmas masses. I really love finding the purposes in the liturgy. I don’t think we ever get too old for the wonder it inspires! Thank you for the insights you share into it! Blessed Advent!
Mary says
Another wonderful giveaway that I would love to win–thank you!
Natalie says
Thanks for another wonderful giveaway!
Michelynne says
LMLD always has the most beautiful offerings (that I personally never know I’m missing!) thst bring us back to the heart of the church. I was so happy to see Searching for and Maintaining Peace….it’s a such a blessing to read. Thanks for highlighting the morning mass recording on this post and having a give away.
Lisa says
I would love to win!
Laurel Muff says
Would absolutely love to win this CD!
Marie says
That CD sounds incredible! I would love to win it… but even, more, I think my sister would love it. Thanks for sharing it with us!
Darci Houser says
What inspiring music. Thanks for sharing with us!
Nina in Wisconsin says
Beautiful. I would appreciate it.
Anna says
This sounds so beautiful!
Kristi says
I would love to win this CD! Thanks for holding the giveaway.
Melanie says
We would LOVE to own this CD! You said it would be perfect for anyone who “loves sacred music, early music, and choral music”…pretty much sums up my husband to a T. 🙂
Stephanie says
I would love to win this one!
Melissa S. says
Please don’t enter me in the contest. I already own the cd. 🙂 I just wanted to comment.
I am blessed to call St. Mary’s my parish and get to hear this little bit of heaven on a weekly basis.
And, yes, I am often moved to tears by the sheer beauty of the music.
Thanks for the other music links. I was happy to see that some of them are streaming free with prime on amazon!
Also, I’m glad that I’m not the only one who thinks Persuasion is the best. I think Anne Elliot is the Austen heroine that I most identify with! She’s definitely my favorite.
Kari Brane says
I’d love to win! I always loved the early masses in school. Just beautiful! (I was a music major)
Carly Orris says
We would love to win. Our whole family loves Christmas music. We listen from Nov to Feb at our house. My kids would listen year round if I let them.
Ann Smith says
So beautiful!
jadeddrifter says
OH, sign me up! We’d really love this CD over here!
Rebekah boyden says
I would love this cd!
Kelsey says
Oh, St. Mary’s – my very own parish! Hooray! Thank you for promoting this, Auntie Leila, and please come visit us again, soon!
Anamaria says
My husband is another who would LOVE this CD. Thanks for the article on Persuasion!
Dixie says
We would love this CD!!
Donna L. says
This sounded enchanting! How lovely to have a chance to win beautiful music~
Maggie P. says
We would love to win! We love sacred music—but I have not heard of this CD! What a gem!
Hannah Q says
What a wonderful find! Would love to win a cd!
Elizabeth says
Beautiful music is such a treasure. Thank you for the giveaway!
rh says
We know a family at that parish (they used to go to ours, in New Haven, but felt called to an Extraordinary Form community). I would love to have the CD – bringing back all three Xmas and Easter masses is a passion of mine! I always ask priests about it – what it would take to make it happen.
rh
rh says
Oh, and I have to comment on Austen. Persuasion is underrated, but I think Mansfield Park is her best. The last time I reread Persuasion, I was struck that the language is not as finely tuned as in her other works, the side characters not as vivid. I do love the story, and there is a lovely movie version (as opposed to MP, which I’ve decided is impossible to film after watching every screen adaptation I could discover.)